The Royals have bolstered their bullpen with the acquisition of right-hander Hunter Harvey, because the Nationals introduced that Harvey will head to Ok.C. in trade for third baseman Cayden Wallace and the Royals’ Aggressive Stability Spherical A choose (thirty ninth general) within the 2024 draft. The Royals additionally introduced the transfer, in addition to the information that right-hander Nick Anderson has been designated for task to create roster house for Harvey.
At this time’s 5-0 loss to the Crimson Sox dropped the Royals to a 52-44 document, and a sport again of Boston for the third and last AL wild card slot. Enjoying .542 baseball is already a powerful step ahead for a group that misplaced 106 video games in 2023, but Kansas Metropolis clearly has eyes on bouncing again from some current struggles. The Royals began the season at a blistering 39-26 tempo, however have since stumbled to a 13-18 mark of their final 31 video games, and reduction pitching has been a significant purpose behind this slide.
The Ok.C. bullpen ranks within the backside third of baseball in most main classes, together with twenty second in bullpen ERA (4.30). James McArthur has transformed 17 of 21 save possibilities however has been considerably shaky, and the Royals’ reduction corps is missing in each velocity and strikeout means. Latest reviews instructed that Kansas Metropolis was contemplating the bullpen as a prime want heading into the commerce deadline, even forward of the Royals’ also-pressing want for outfield upgrades.
Harvey and his 97.8mph fastball present some instant high-leverage zip within the Royals’ pen, and Harvey additionally has above-average strikeout and stroll charges over his 45 innings this season out of Washington’s bullpen. Whereas he has a 4.20 ERA, Harvey’s SIERA is 2.99, as a .325 BABIP has contributed to make Harvey’s bottom-line outcomes an inadequate reflection of his high quality pitching.
Chosen twenty second general by the Orioles within the 2013 draft, Harvey drew top-100 prospect consideration earlier than quite a lot of accidents threatened to halt his profession earlier than it ever obtained off the bottom. He had a 3.42 ERA over 23 2/3 innings and 26 appearances for Baltimore throughout the 2019-21 seasons, however the Giants claimed him off waivers in November 2021, and Harvey then moved to Washington on one other waiver declare simply previous to the beginning of the 2022 marketing campaign.
This time with the Nationals allowed Harvey to ascertain himself as a stable MLB-caliber arm, even when he has flown underneath the radar throughout the group’s rebuild. Harvey has a 3.17 ERA, 27.8% strikeout fee, and 6.4% stroll fee in 145 innings for D.C., working principally as a setup man however with 10 saves to his ledger in 2023. Arduous contact is a giant pink flag in Harvey’s arsenal, however he has completed a passably good job of holding this difficult contact from translating into dwelling runs. Shifting to spacious Kauffman Stadium may additional assist the 29-year-old Harvey on this regard.
Harvey is incomes a $2.35MM wage this season in his second-last yr of arbitration eligibility, so the Royals additionally management him via the top of the 2025 marketing campaign. This further yr of management made Harvey a very attention-grabbing participant to observe heading into the July 30 deadline, and each Harvey and Nats nearer Kyle Finnegan (additionally managed via 2025) cracked the highest 15 of MLBTR’s current itemizing of the highest 50 commerce candidates. Since groups typically should pay a bit further to finish offers additional upfront of the deadline, that issue plus Harvey’s further yr of management and maybe the Royals’ eagerness to shortly appropriate their bullpen struggles mixed to provide Washington a reasonably good return.
The rebuilding Nationals stayed inside hanging distance of the NL wild card race, however at this time’s commerce leaves little question that the Nats will stay on their anticipated path as sellers heading into the deadline. This doesn’t imply that Washington may not search out some gamers that might assist them be aggressive as early as 2025, and Wallace may probably match that class, as he’s presently in his second season of Double-A ball.
A second-round choose for the Royals within the 2022 draft, Wallace is hitting .282/.350/.427 over 140 plate appearances for Double-A Northwest Arkansas this season, however he has been slowed by each an indirect pressure and an ongoing IL stint for a damaged rib. These accidents have slowed his growth, however MLB Pipeline nonetheless ranks Wallace because the second-best prospect within the Kansas Metropolis farm system, and Baseball America ranked him fifth of their preseason rating of Royals minor leaguers. Each scouting reviews take into account him defensive participant with the power to stay at third base resulting from a powerful throwing arm, and Wallace has strategy on the plate and a stable swing. He has energy potential moreso than apparent energy in the intervening time, so Pipeline and BA view Wallace as a spot hitter with some upside as he develops.
Buying and selling a “third baseman of the long run” candidate like Wallace serves as an endorsement of the Royals’ religion in Maikel Garcia in no less than the quick time period, even when Kansas Metropolis would possibly now search for some assist on the sizzling nook down the highway — maybe as quickly as tomorrow’s draft. As famous by MASNsports.com’s Mark Zuckerman, the Nationals have now given themselves lot of third base depth for the long run, with Wallace becoming a member of Brady Home (ranked by Pipeline because the Forty fourth-best prospect in all of baseball) and Yohandy Morales within the minor league ranks. This may very well be a possible surplus place for the Nationals within the coming years, in the event that they return to competition and begin shifting their very own inside prospects for extra win-now veterans.
The Aggressive Stability Spherical choices are the one kinds of draft picks that may be traded, and as such are quietly a number of the most valued commerce chips in all of baseball. Any group can commerce for CBR picks, however since smaller-market and lower-revenue groups are the one golf equipment eligible for these bonus choices within the first place, trades involving the picks are comparatively uncommon, given how including expertise via the draft is of such explicit worth for the sport’s lesser spenders. Nonetheless, at this time’s commerce marks the third CBR choose of the 2024 draft to alter fingers — the Brewers acquired the thirty fourth general choose from the Orioles as a part of the Corbin Burnes commerce, whereas the White Sox landed the 68th general choose (in CBR Spherical B) as a part of the deal that despatched Gregory Santos to the Mariners.
The Royals choose sixth general in tomorrow’s draft, and now received’t choose once more till their second-round selection (forty first general). The Nationals now have three choices inside the first 44 picks, with their newly-acquired CBR choice sandwiched between their first- and second-round slots.
Anderson got here to the Royals in a commerce with the Braves final November, as Kansas Metropolis had curiosity in seeing if the previous Rays bullpen ace may regain his kind after three injury-marred seasons. Over 34 2/3 innings for the Royals this season, Anderson had a 4.15 ERA and never a lot in the way in which of secondary metrics, as he posted a ten.1% stroll fee and 18.1% strikeout fee.
Anderson is incomes $1.575MM this season, and he’s arb-controlled via 2025, which may add some attraction for any membership keen on including bullpen depth through waiver declare. Anderson has now handed the five-year threshold for MLB service time resulting from being on the Royals’ energetic roster all season, and would thus retain all of his 2024 wage if he clears waivers and turns into a free agent.
